Adventure Racing World Championship 2016
Lock Down – Teams Have The Course
Rob Howard / 09.11.2016
The World Championship teams went into ‘Lock Down’ this morning, their phones were sealed and all outside communications blocked. For the next 8 days they will be in a world of their own, concentrating only on their race and with no outside assistance of any kind. Their course is now set out for them on the 40 laminated and waterproofed race maps and by the route book given at the start of Lock Down.
They will have two hours to study and mark their maps, and to make any final minor adjustments to packed kit boxes, and then it will be time to get on the buses for the start line.
You will be able to follow the course through the live race website but here’s a quick outline of what lies ahead with some of the highlights.
The race begins at 12.30 with a 35km paddling stage at Jervis Bay, a short drive up the coast from Ulladulla. The bay is known for its beaches and cliffs and is a regular stop for migrating whales, so it’s likely the teams will see some, as well as dolphins.
Next is a 14km coastal trek, heading south and passing Hyams Beach, said to be the whitest in the world, though its likely teams will be here in darkness on the first night of the race.
Stage 3 is another paddle, this time 13km inland, still heading south towards CP5 at Sussex Inlet, and it is only here that they truly leave the coast for a 95km bike ride up into the hills and back down to the coast at Kioloa. They pass through an area of dramatic rock cliffs known as ‘The Big Brother of the Blue Mountains’ and descend to TA5 where most of the equipment will be set out ... it’s going to be a big, and a very busy transition.
Next it is back to the coastline again for a 38km beach and shoreline trek to Bateman’s Bay, still heading South, and this begins with a walk along Merry Beach, known as one of only two places in Australia where kangaroos gather on a beach. (There may possibly also be a large gathering of photographers too!)
After Batemans Bay transition the route now goes inland and stays there, with teams not returning to the coast until the finish line at Ulladulla. Stage 6 is a 37km paddle up the Clyde River, one of the biggest rivers in the state not to be dammed, and it is tidal all the way up to the take out.
Once out of the water its back on the bikes for a 57km ride to Yadboro Flat, and the race is now in much more remote and sparsely populated country, so there will be little chance to find places to stop for any food or drink.
Now teams are heading into the crux of the race and stage 8 will be a critical trek. The 48km route past the area known as ‘The Castle’ takes hikers 3 days usually, but even the slowest race teams won’t take that long. Race Director Craig Bycroft did still say it will be very slow and very hard going.
The destination at the end of this trek is Nerriga, a very small town, but it does have a pub ... and that’s where the transition is! Those who arrive at the right time will be able to get food there, and there will be a warm welcome at any time.
Leg 9 is on bikes again, on sealed road, as the teams head north to Bungonia and two more key stages in the race. The first of these is the mystery discipline, revealed as caving, with teams getting 5 out of 6 checkpoints in caves, taking anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. These are no show caves however, and there will be some tight squeezes ... and a few nervous racers.
Then leg 11 is the packraft with a tough trek to get to the Shoalhaven River followed by a 44km paddle down the deeply incised river in Karst limestone scenery. There are numerous class 1 and 2 rapids all the way down so there is a dark zone on the river here. Teams have to be off the water from dusk to dawn – but they don’t have to stop. They do have the option to trek along the riverside ... if they can.
From the Tallowa Dam the route continues down the Shoalhaven river to the regional capital at Nowra but with teams now in kayaks. (There are still a few small rapids, but no dark zone on this section.)
Stage 13 is a 99km ride, the longest on the race, finishing with a ride along the beach and past cliffs at Bendalong and there is then one final transition for the last 14km coastal trek to the finish at Ulladulla!
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